Currency in Iran

Rial or Toman?

If you are planning to visit Iran, one of the very first things to know is about the currency which for most of the tourists is usually confusing.

what is the difference between Rial and Toman?

The official currency in Iran is Rial, the currency which you will see on notes or coins, banks bills and documents, official bills or in any official money exchange. However local Iranians almost always use “Toman” in their daily life for their daily payments, and the difference can cause confusion. It is far easier than you think; a Toman is ten times a Rial; For instance 1000 Tomans is 10,000 Rials. So if you’ve been asked to pay one thousand Tomans, you should add one zero and pay a ten-thousand-Rial paper money.

what currency is more common?

Since it is common to see prices of goods written either in Rials or in Tomans, The problem is to be able to find out which of them you have to pay for specific merchandise. The only way is to ask whether it is in Toman or in Rial. When you want to pay your taxi fare or buy grocery it is common to see prices in Toman. But in big supermarket and chain stores Rial is more popular.

These days Iranians use notes and just a few coins for their payments. Common notes in Iran are 10,000 Rials (1000 Toman), 20,000 Rials (2000 Toman), 50,000 Rials (5000 Toman), 100,000 Rials, 500,000 Rials (50.000 Toman), 100.000 Rials (100,000 Tomans).

Due to the unfair sanctions in Iran people do not have access to international banking system. And for that matter you won’t be able to use your master or visa cards. So you should bring some cash. And exchange stores are quiet popular in big cities although, in some hotels you can pay in euro and dollar.